Francine was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she and her siblings were raised in a nurturing environment. Her father worked for the railroad. Francine married her husband, Bruce, after he enlisted in the Marine Corps and before he deployed to Vietnam. Their first daughter was born before Bruce returned home. They have another daughter and four wonderful grandchildren.
Francine retired from her career as a longtime elementary teacher in West Salem, Wisconsin. Her love of teaching children has taken her on trips to Russia where she taught environmental education and English.
She continues to stay active in her community by volunteering and serving on the board of directors at the Marie W. Heider Center for the Arts.
Francine prefers outdoor activities such as kayaking, hiking, biking, and gardening. If she is indoors you will find her reading a book or in the kitchen cooking.
Together Francine and Bruce have done some worldwide travel. One such trip was to Vietnam that included a visit to the Khe Sanh combat base where Bruce spent most of his tour in 1967-68. Time was also spent exploring the country and meeting the people. For years, Bruce had stated that he wanted to return to Vietnam and see the country at peace.